The BBC's Robert Hall"Four local children recreated the half hour that led up to Sarah Payne's disappearance" real 28kPayne family videoSarah a few days before she disappeared real 28k

Friday, 7 July, 2000, 13:28 GMT 14:28 UK

Sarah police stage reconstruction

A local girl traces Sarah's footsteps

Police have staged a reconstruction of Sarah Payne's last known movements in an effort to jog the memory of anyone who may have seen the missing eight-year-old.

Four children took part in the re-enactment in wheat fields near East Preston, West Sussex, where the youngster was last seen with her brothers and sister six days ago.

Officers are also expecting the first results from forensic tests carried out in the home of a man in his 40s from Littlehampton, West Sussex, who was arrested and released on police bail earlier in the week.

It is feared that Sarah was abducted as she walked from the field to her grandparents' house just a few hundred metres away.

Bravery

Police thanked the children who took part in the reconstruction for their bravery. Samantha, 12 - the girl playing Sarah - was visibly shaking as she posed
for the cameras.

The other children were Robert, 13, playing 13-year-old Lee; Richard, 11, as 11-year-old Luke; and Nicola, 10 playing six-year-old Charlotte.

Sarah's brother saw a white van and a silver saloon car

The re-enactment demonstrated how Sarah had left the others after falling over and hurting her face during a game of dinosaurs.

She decided to return to her grandparents' house up the lane and was initially followed across the field by Lee.

But her older brother turned around and went back to the others because he heard his youngest sister Charlotte crying after she too had hurt herself.

It was then that Sarah disappeared from view along the lane and has not been seen since.

Police, working on the theory that she was abducted, also drove a white van and silver saloon car up and down the lane to simulate those spotted by Lee before he turned back to help Charlotte.

Police hunt cyclist

Detectives worked hard to ensure that every detail of the re-enactment was correct.

One officer's wife even dyed the blue dress worn by Samantha after police were unable to find a dress matching the exact shade of that worn by the missing
girl.

Police also revealed they are now trying to trace a cyclist seen in the area at the time Sarah disappeared.

A witness has told detectives they saw a man riding a bike with wing mirrors along the country lane.

Police want to trace the driver of the silver car

Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Yeo said officers urgently wanted to contact the man who was wearing a heavy patchwork jumper which police regard as being
unusual for this time of year.

Detectives also say they are surprised the driver of the silver saloon car has not come forward.

Sarah's exhausted parents Sara and Michael, both 31, said they had been helped through their torment by moving messages of hope sent to them by local schoolchildren.

Mrs Payne, from Surrey, said: "We are just doing whatever we can during the day, the nights are long - very long.

"I don't sleep, I collapse when my body has had enough, at about 3am and then I get up at 6am."

Sightings

Every police force in the country is now involved in the hunt for Sarah.

Helpline numbers

Sussex Police: 08456070999

National Missing
Persons Helpline: 0500700700

Crimestoppers:
0800555111

Sussex police are continuing their search locally, with specialist teams targeting areas identified by a national crime profiler and a public tip-off.

Other detectives have travelled outside Sussex to follow up possible sightings of the missing girl.

Known sex offenders in the area have been questioned and other police forces are being asked to visit their own high risk offenders.